Portable pump apparatus



Dec. 23, 1958 N. LAlNG PORTABLE PUMP APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FiledMarch 25, 1953 M Wm m 5 M W y y .w m w N 5 FMIJ United States PatentPORTABLE PUMP APPARATUS Nikolaus Laing, Karlsruhe-Durlach, GermanyApplicationMarch-ZS, 1953, Serial N 0. 344,494

Claims priority, application Germany September 13, 1950 12 Claims. '(Cl.103-87) The present invention relates to pumps.

More particularly, the present invention relates to portable pumps whichmay be carried to a desired loca tion.

This application is a continuation-in-part of applica tion Serial Number245,690, filed September 8, 1951, and entitled Electric Barrel Pump, nowabandoned, a continuation in part of which was filed February 17, 1954,Serial No. 410,887, now abandoned.

.It often happens that it is necessary to pump a liquid through arelatively small opening and many pumps cannot be used under theseconditions without long extension which cut down the efficiency of theapparatus. Moreover, most conventional pumps include valves which notonly complicate the apparatus, but also cause a portion of the pumpedfluid to remain in the pump and to mix with the next quantity of pumpedfiuid, which is often very undesirable. Where pumps are used for pumpingperishable liquids, it is often diflicult to clean the pumps properlyafter they are used. Also, it is often desirable to set a pump up forautomatic operation, and this is sometimes almost impossible with knownpumps.

One of the objects of the present invention is to overcome the abovedrawbacks by providing a pump apparatus which is absolutely free ofvalves of any type.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus inwhich none of the pumped liquid can remain after the pump has finishedits operation.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a pump which canbe very easily washed out for cleaning purposes.

An additional object of the present invention is to provide a pump whichcan be quickly and easily assembled and disassembled for cleaningpurposes.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a pump witha starting switch which can be very easily adapted to automaticoperation.

A still further object of the present invention is to pro vide a meansfor sealing the pump motor from the pumped liquid.

A still additional object of the present invention is to provide a meansfor cooling the pump motor.

One more object of the present invention is to provide a means forautomatically stopping the pump motor when it reaches a predeterminedtemperature.

The objects of the present invention also include the provision of anapparatus capable of accomplishing all of the above objects while at thesame time being made up of simple and ruggedly constructed parts whichare few in number and which provide a pump that may conveniently beassociated with extensions and attachments of all types.

With the above objects in view, the present invention mainly consists ofa portable pump apparatus which includes an elongated suction tube meanshaving an inlet and an outlet and being adapted to convey, a fluid along2,865,295 Patented Dec. .23, 1958 a predetermined path from the inlet tothe outlet. A fluid moving means is located within the suction tubemeans adjacent the inlet thereof, and an electric motor is operativelyconnected to the fluid moving means for driving the same. A housing atleast .part of which forms a portion of the suction tube means islocated about the electric motor and is located at least partly alongthe predetermined path along which the pumped fluid flows in the suctiontube means, so that this fluid engages the housing during operation ofthe pump to cool the motor.

The novel features which are considered as characteristic for theinvention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. Theinvention itself, however, both as to its construction and its method ofoperation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, willbe best understood from the following description of specificembodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings, inwhich:

Fig. 1 is a elevational, partly sectional and partly fragmentary view ofone possible pump apparatus constructed in accordance with the presentinvention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary, elevational view of the handle and supportingapparatus for the pump of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view of the structure of Fig. 1 takenat the outlet of the pump;

Fig. 4 illustrates the :structure of Fig. 3 in a different positionthereof;

Fig. 5 is a view of the structure of Fig. 2 as seen from the left sidethereof;

Fig. 6 shows the pump of Fig. 1 with the outer tube removed therefrom;

- Fig. 7 is a sectional *view taken along line VII-VII of Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is an elevational view of the outer tube which has been removedfrom the structure of Fig. 6;

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary, partly sectional, elevational view of a secondembodiment of a pump constructed in accordance with the presentinvention;

Fig. 10 is a view of a temperature controlled safety switch used in 'thepump of the present invention;

Fig. 11 is a fragmentary, partly sectional, elevational view of a thirdembodiment of a pump constructed in accordance with the presentinvention; and

Fig. 12 is a fragmentary, sectional elevational view of the inletportion of a pump having a sealing means adapted to be used with thepumps of Figs. 9 and 11.

Referring now to the drawings, the pump according to Fig. 1 is providedwith a suction tube means which includes the outer tube 1 and the innertube 2 which contains all of the electrical apparatus including themotor 6, the control switch 28 therefor, and the .electrical leads, thisinner .tube '2 being connected to the handle and support means 3 of thepump through "the medium of an end plate 4 connected to this inner tube2 and extending into a groove 31 of the support means 3. A third tube 8is fixedly connected to the outlet opening of the outer tube 1 and isconnected to -a discharge hose 5, or the like, through the medium of thenut 7 which engages a threaded ,portion of tube 8 and which also servesto fixedly hold the outer tube -1 on the support means 3, as is evidentfrom Figs. 1 and 3. A seal between the tubes 5 and 8 is provided throughthe medium of a sealing ring 9, shown in Fig. 1, located between thetubes 5 and 8 and being clamped between these tubes by the nut 7.

The positioning of the inner and outer tubes with respect to each otherat the outlet of the suction tube means is provided by a ring 11 fixedto the inner tube 2 at the outer surface thereof :and slidably engagingthe inner surface of tube 1 to form the elongated annular is actuated bya push button 29 which is space between these tubes'and along which thefluid moves to the third tube 8. As is apparent from the lower part ofFig. 1, the outer tube 1 extends beyond the inner tube 2 to form thepump inlet, and a member carrying fins 12 is connected to the bottom endof inner tube 2, as shown in Fig. 1, these fins 12 serving to positionthe tubes 1 and 2 with respect to each other at the pump inlet. The fins12 extend along the'length of tube 1, engage the latter, and may beangularly spaced from each other by 120 when there are three fins 12, asshown in Fig. 7, although the invention is not necessarily limited tothree fins 12. These fins 12, in addition to determin-' ing the positionof tubes 1 and 2 with respect to each other, serve to guide the liquidupwardly through the space 10 toward the outlet tube 8.

As is apparent from the lower part of Fig. 1, an annular hollow footmember 43 is fixed to the inlet end of the outer tube 1 at the interiorthereof and is provided with the extensions 13 which are spaced fromeach other .to provide passages through which the liquid may flow to theinlet of the pump when the extensions 13 engage the bottom wall of acontainer, or the like.

A fluid moving means in the form of a pump rotor 14 is located at theinlet of the pump and is surrounded by the tapering, narrowed innerportion 44 of foot member 43. The latter is provided with the innerthreads 16 so that extensions and auxiliary equipment of all types maybe threadedly connected to the pump. The pump rotor 14 is threadedlyconnected to the shaft 17, of motor 6, which extends from the armature18 of this motor.

An enclosure 21 is formed about the shaft 17 adjacent to the rotor 14 bythe interior of the member which carries the fins 12 and by the upperand lower sealing rings 22. A pair of rings are located in this chamberin slidable engagement with the rings 22 and are in turn engaged by apair of elastic members 19, respectively, which are urged away from eachother and against the rings 20 by the spring 23 extending about theshaft 17; A sealing liquid is located in this enclosure 21 to seal themotor against the liquid being pumped in the event that any of thispumped liquid should leak past the lower members 19, 20 and 22.

A commutator 24 is arranged at the top end of the armature 18, and thebrushes 25 are urged against this commutator by the springs 27,respectively, each brush 25 and its associated spring 27 being locatedin an elongated tube 26 which has a top closed end against which thespring 27 abuts, these tubes 26 being supported within the inner tube 2,as shown in Fig. l.

A switch 28 for stopping and starting the motor 6 is arranged in the topend portion of the inner tube 2 and moved upwardly along the centralaxis of the tubes 1 and 2 to the position shown in Fig. 2 in order toclose the switch 28 and start the motor. In the depressed position ofbutton 29, shown in Figs. 1 and 6, the switch 28 is open and the motorand pump are turned off. This arrangement is of particular advantage forautomatic operation of the pump, because it is very easy to connect afloat, for example, to the button 29 for automatically raising thelatter and starting the pump when a liquid in which the pump is locatedrises to a predetermined level, such a float descending during pumpingof the liquid to move the button 9 downwardly for automatically stoppingthe pump when the liquid level descends by a predetermined extent.

Current is fed to the apparatus through the cable 34 which is clamped inthe narrowed portion 35 of the frame of the handle and support means 3to prevent the cable from being pulled away from the pump. This cable 34feeds into the top portion of the inner tube 2 and is again clamped atthis point by the teeth 30 of the member through which the cable 34passes, as is shown in the upper portion of Fig. 1.

As was mentioned above, a plate 4 is connected to the inner tube 2 andis located in a groove, 31 of the 4 1 handle and support means 3. Afterthis plate 4 is located in the grooves 31, the opposite side covers 32for the handle are fixed to the frame of the handle means 3 through themedium of screw members 33, as shown in Figs. 2 and 5, and these covers32 surround the plate 4 so that they serve to fix the tube 2 to thesupport means 3. This assembled condition of the pump is shownschematically in front and side views in Figs. 2 and 5, respectively.

The support means 3 of the pump includes a stationary part 36 (Fig. 3)which is located about a part of the outlet tube 8. This part 36 forms astationary side portion of the handle and support means 3 and ishingedly connected to an opposite movable side portion 37 which islocated about a complementary part of the tube 8 so that these sideportions 36 and 37 together extend completely about the tube 8 when sideportion 37 is in the .position shown in Fig. 3. Figs. 1 and 3 also showhow these side portions have tapered parts engaged by the nut 7 to beheld thereby against the tube 8 and thereby hold the outer tube 1 inposition on the pump apparatus.

Fig. 4 schematically illustrates a step in the disassembly of the pump.After the nut 7 is unscrewed through a short distance, the movable sideportion 37 may be swung away from the side portion 36. Figs. 3 and 4show how the side portion 36 is provided with a projection 39 alongwhich a curved part 38 of the side portion 37 moves so that these partsare accurately guided with respect to each other. After the side portion37 is swung away from the stationary side portion 36 of the handle means3, the tube 8 may be turned about the axis of the outer tube 1, turningthe latter therewith, until the tube 8 is located beyond the stationarypart 36, and then the entire tube 1 with the tube 8 may be slippeddownwardly away from the handle means 3 and off of the tube 2, so thatthe pump structure shown in Fig. 6 remains, the separated tube 1 andparts connected thereto being shown in Fig. 8. In this way it is asimple matter to quickly and easily disassemble the pump so that thelatter may conveniently be cleaned, for example, although for somepurposes it may be sufficient to simply wash a liquid through theannular space 10 of the assembled pump. The assembly of the pump takesplace according to a procedure which is the reverse of that outlineabove.

It is evident that the above described pump of Figs. 1-8 includes novalves which could cause part of a pumped liquid to be trapped in thepump after the pumping operations, so that with the apparatus of theinvention it is impossible for a portion of a previously pumped liquidto become mixed with a new liquid into which the pump is set. As isevident from the drawings, any liquid in the elongated annular space 10will simply fall out through the inlet of the pump when the latter isremoved from a body of liquid being pumped.

As is apparent from Fig. 1, the field winding 40 of the motor 6 isconnected to a schematically illustrated temperature controlled safelyswitch 42, the details of which are described below, for opening themotor circuit when a predetermined temperature is reached so that themotor cannot become excessively heated. It is evident that the outerhousing of the motor 6 is formed by part of the inner tube 2, so that asthe pumped liquid moves along the annular space 10 it engages the partof tube 2 forming the housing for motor 1 and carries heat away from thelatter to cool the motor in this way, the tube 2 being made of a metal,for example, which has a high thermal conductivity. Thus, the pumpedliquid itself serves to cool the motor to a great extent.

Figs. 9 and 11 illustrate different embodiments of the invention,respectively, capable of accomplishing the results of theabove-described pump while having some different features which make thepumps of Figs. 9 and 11 more suitable for certain purposes. According tothe embodiment of Fig. 9, the pump motor is located at the upper portionof the path through which the liquid moves through the nut 7, the handleand support means 3 of Fig. 9 also being identical with that of Fig. land including the same frame and handle covers 32 as well as thestationary side portion 36 and movable side portion 37 hingedlyconnected thereto, these side portions being releasably fixed to thetube '8 by the nut 7 in the same .way as was described above. Thestarting switch 45 for the motor of Fig. 9 is connected by a threadedmember 46 to the cable 34 and is operated by a push button movableupwardly along the pump axis to close the switch .45 and downwardlyalong the pump axis to the position of Fig. 9 to open the switch 45, sothat the switch operating member of Fig. 9 includes .the same advantagesas .the switch operating member 29 of Fig. 1.

The motor housing 47 extends into the space 48 of the handle means 3 andis fixed to a collar 49 which extends into the grooves 31 of the .handlemeans 3 and is fixed to the latter by the side covers 32 in the same wayas the plate 4 of Fig. l. The commutator 51 of armature 52 is locatedabove the plate 49 in the part 50 of the motor which extends into thespace 48. The brushes .53 are urged against the commutator 51 by thesprings 54, respectively, and each brush 53 and its associated spring 54is located in a tube covered by the threaded cap 55 which may be removedafter the side parts 32 of the handle means 3 are removed, so that inthis way the brushes are easily accessible and may conveniently bechanged when required. A temperature controlled safety switch 42 is alsoconnected to the field winding 40 of the motor of Fig. 9.

The lower portion 56 of the motor housing is threaded 1y connected tothe inner tube 57 of the pump, and a shaft 58 extends through this innertube 57 and is .threadedly connected to the motor shaft 59. This innertube 57 forms an enclosure for receiving a sealing liquid to seal themotor from the liquid being pumped. For this purpose also a shaftsealing means is provided and includes the stationary sealing plate 60which is slidably engaged by the ring 64 that is in turn engaged by theelastic folded member 62 which in turn engages the ring 61 fixed to theshaft 59 for rotation therewith, the elastic member 62 being pressedagainst the ring 62 and slide ring 64 by the coil spring 63 extendingabout the shaft 59. At the lower end of the inner tube 57 and slightlybeyond the latter is located the fluid moving means in the form of thepump rotor 65.

An outer tube 66 is connected to the tube 8 in the same way as tube 1and is located about the inner tube 57 to form therewith an annularspace along which the fluid is pumped, this outer tube 66 being spacedat its top end from the inner tube forming a part of the motor housingby a ring fixed to this inner tube and located immediately beneath theplate 49 in slidable engagement with the outer tube 66 which isremovable from the pump in the same way as the outer tube 1 of Fig. 1.At its inlet end the outer tube 66 is positioned with respect to theinner tube through the medium of a member fixed to the inner tube 57 atits lower end and having the fins 67, corresponding to fins 12,extending toward the outer tube 66 and being joined integrally with aring 68 extending about the rotor 65. An inwardly threaded foot memberhaving extensions 69 similar to extensions 13 is fixed to the inlet endof the outer tube 66. This outer tube is narrowed sharply just below thelower portion 56 of the motor housing.

This pump of Fig. 9 obviously is capable of accomplishing the sameresults as the pump of Fig. 1, since the pumped liquid is capable ofcontacting the motor housing to cool the latter. Moreover a largerannular space is provided between the inner and outer tubes than is thecase with the structure of Fig. 1, and the narrowing of this space atthe portion thereof located about the motor is compensated for by theincrease in diameter 6 at this portion. Moreover, with the embodiment ofFig. 9, the brushes of the motor are more accessible than with theembodiment of Fig. 1.

The structure of the temperature controlled safety switch 42 is shown,without its housing, in Fig. 10. This safety switch includes a frame 70which carries a bimetallic strip 71 maintained under a slight stress :bythis frame, this strip 71 having on one side the contact 72 and on theside opposite contact 72 the metal portion which has the greatercoefficient of expansion. In its normal rest position, the bimetallicstrip 71 is curved in the opposite direction from that shown in Fig. 10with the contact '72 engaging the spring contact 73 to close the circuitof the field winding at this point, this contact 73 being mounted on aplate 74 of insulating material connected to the frame 70 which carriesa second plate 74 through which the soldering tab 75 is electricallyconnected to the contact 73. As the temperature increases, thebimetallic strip 71 expands against the stress with which it issupported by the frame 70, until upon attainment of a predeterminedtemperature this bimetallic strip 71 suddenly snaps to the positionshown in Fig. 10 where the contact 72 is separated from the contact 73to open the circuit of the field winding and thereby stop the operationof the motor and pump.

Fig. 11 shows a further embodiment of the invention according to whichthe pump motor is located entirely outside of the outer pump tube,although a portion of the motor housing forms a part of the path throughwhich the pumped liquid flows so that the latter still functions to coolthe motor as is the case with the above-described embodiments of theinvention. The handle means 76 of Fig. 11 includes a frame provided witha groove in which the end cover 78 and a lip of the motor housing 77 islocated to connect this motor to the handle means 76, opposite sidecovers similar to members 32 being provided on the frame of handle means76 to fix the motor housing 77 and cover 78 thereof to the handle means76. This frame of handle means 76 also serves to hold the cable which isthreadedly connected at 46 to the switch 45 identical with switch 45 ofFig. 9 and having an identical switch operating member, and also thecommutator and brush arrangement 53, 54, 55 of Fig. 11 is identical withthe arrangement of parts 53-55 of Fig. 9, the commutator of Fig. 11being of a slightly larger diameter than that of Fig. 9.

The embodiment of Fig. 11 is particularly suited for applications wherea larger and more powerful motor than that of Figs. 1 and 9 is required,and the armature 80 of Fig. ll is connected to the motor shaft 83 havinga non-circular bore mating with a non-circular end portion 81 of theshaft 82 which extends along the interior of the inner tube along thepump axis, this inner tube 85 being threadedly connected to the motorhousing, as shown. The shaft 83 of the motor is sealed against thesealing liquid located in the enclosure formed by the inner tube 85 by atransversely curved sealing ring 84.

The field winding 87 of the motor is connected to a temperaturecontrolled operating switch 42 identical with that of Figs. 1 and 11 anddescribed in connection with Fig. 10, and this field winding 87 islocated directly next to the motor housing portion 79. A fan having fourblades 88 rotates with the armature 80 in the housing 77, 79 to coolthis housing which is made, for example, of a metal having a highthermal conductivity and the lower portion 91 of which leads the pumpedliquid to the tube 92 corresponding to tube 8, so that the pumped liquidalso serves to cool the motor housing. The outer tube 89 of the pump ofFig. 11 is releasably connected to this lower portion 91 of the housing77, 79 through the medium of a nut 90, and the tube 92 is provided withthreads for engagement with a nut connecting a hose similar to hose 5 tothis tube 92.

Fig. 12 shows the lower portion of the pumps of Figs. 9 and 11, exceptthat the outer tube'89, 93 of Fig. 11

is provided with a rearwardly bent, bottom rim 94 and openings 95through which the liquid flows to the pump inlet. In the lower endportion of the inner tube 57 of Fig. 9 or 85 of Fig. 11 the shaft 96 ofthe rotor 65 is threadedly connected to the elongated shaft 58 or 82-and is turnable in the annular metal bearings 97 and 98 located in theinterior of the inner tube, this rotor shaft also turning within thegraphite bearings 99 and we located in the inner tube. The sealing ringW1 serves to seal the sealing liquid located in the inner tube and thesealing ring 102 prevents the pumped liquid from entering the inner tubein the event that the sealing means formed by the slip ring 103 fixed toshaft 96 and rotating therewith and the elastic body 1% and spring M55as well as the stationary graphite bearing ltltl should fail to preventthe pumped liquid from moving along that part of rotor shaft 96 locatedimmediately above the rotor 65.

The ring 68 about the rotor 65 is connected to the fins 67 and the innertube in the same way as was described above in connection with Fig. 9 todetermine the position of the inner and outer pump tubes as well as toguide the pumped liquid upwardly through the pump. The rotor 65 isprovided with a bore in which a nut 106 having a slot to receive a screwdriver is located, this nut 106 and rotor 65 threadedly engaging therotor shaft 96 as shown, and the nut 41 of Fig. l is constructed in thesame way to secure the rotor 14 to the shaft 17. In this way it ispossible to disconnect one rotor of any of the above-described pumps andexchange it for another.

It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or twoor more together, may also find a useful application in other types ofpump apparatus differing from the types described above.

While the invention has been illustrated and described as embodied in aportable pump apparatus, it is not intended to be limited to the detailsshown, since various modifications and structural changes may be madewithout departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention.

Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist ofthe present invention that others can by applying current knowledgereadily adapt it for various applications without omitting featuresthat, from the standpoint of prior. art, fairly constitute essentialcharacteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this inventionand, therefore, such adaptations should and are intended to becomprehended within the meaning and range of equivalence of thefollowing claims.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. Portable pump apparatus comprising, in combination, elongated suctiontube means having an inlet and an outlet and adapted to convey a fluidalong a predetermined path from said inlet to said outlet; fluid movingmeans located in said suction tube means adjacent said inlet thereof; anelectric motor connected to said suction tube means adjacent said outletthereof; elongated shaft means extending along the interior of saidsuction tube means and interconnecting said electric motor and saidfluid moving means to transmit a drive to the latter from said electricmotor; and a housing located about said electric motor, at least partlyforming a portion of said suction tube means and being located at leastpartly along said predetermined path so as to be engaged by fluid movingin said suction tube means during operation of said electric motor, saidhousing forming part of and being removably connected to at least a partof said suction tube means adjacent said outlet thereof and being madeof a material which has a high degree of thermal conductivity, saidfluid moving means being of a cross-section at least as small as theinternal cross-section of the removable portion of said suction tube,whereby said motor and fluid moving means can be separated bodily fromsaid suction tube.

2. In a pump as claimed in claim 1, an electric switch connected to saidmotor for stopping and starting the same and having an operating membermounted on the pump for movement along the axis of the suction tube.

3. In a pump as claimed in claim 1, said electric motor having a fieldwinding, a temperature controlled safety switch located next to saidfield winding at the outer surface thereof for opening the motor circuitwhen a predetermined temperature is reached, said housing being locatedabout said electric motor next to said safety switch.

4. In a pump as claimed in claim 1, said shaft means including a motorshaft and a transmission shaft extending therefrom and to which saidfluid moving means is removably connected, one of said shafts having anoncircular recess and the other of said shafts having a matingnon-circular end portion located in said recess so that said shafts arein driving engagement with each other.

5. In a pump as claimed in claim 1, said shaft means including a motorshaft and a transmission shaft extending therefrom, one of said shaftshaving a non-circular recess and the other of said shafts having amating noncircular end portion located in said recess so that saidshafts are in driving engagement with each other and said shaft meansalso including a shaft having a lower end removably connected to saidfluid moving means and an upper end fixed to said transmission shaft bythreads.

6. In a pump as claimed in claim 1, said shaft means extendingdownwardly through said fluid moving means and having a bottom threadedend portion, and a nut threadedly engaging said bottom end portion ofsaid shaft means for removably holding said fluid moving means thereon,said nut having a bottom closed end located beneath said shaft means toprotect the threads of said shaft means from the pumped fluid.

7. Portable pump apparatus comprising, in combination, elongated suctiontube means including inner and outer substantially coaxial tubes, saidouter tube having an inlet portion located beyond one end of said innertube and having an outlet portion located adjacent the opposite end ofsaid inner tube; handle means supporting said suction tube meansadjacent said outlet portion of said outer tube and being removablyconnected to the latter; fluid moving means located in said inletportion of said outer tube; an electric motor located in said innertube, having its housing formed by part of said inner tube, and beingoperatively connected to said fluid moving means for driving the latter;an annular ring carried by said inner tube and being located between thelatter and said outer tube adjacent said outlet portion thereof forpositioning said tubes with respect to each other at said outlet portionof said outer tube; and a plurality of fins connected to said inner tubeadjacent said one end thereof and extending toward said outer tube toposition said tubes with respect to each other at said inlet portion ofsaid outer tube.

8. Portable pump apparatus comprising, in combination, elongated suctiontube means including inner and outer substantially coaxial tubes, saidouter tube having an inlet portion located beyond one end of said innertube and having an outlet portion located adjacent the opposite end ofsaid inner tube; a third tube connected to said outer tube at saidoutlet portion thereof and extending laterally from said outer tube;handle means supporting said suction tube means adjacent said outletportion of said outer tube and being removably connected to the latter,said handle means including a pair of side portions one of which ismovable with respect to the other and which are respectively locatedabout complementary parts of said third tube; fluid moving means locatedin said inlet portion of said outer tube; an electric motor located insaid inner tube, having its housing formed by part of said inner tube,and being operatively connected to said fluid moving means for drivingthe latter; an annular ring carried by said inner tube and being locatedbetween the latter and said outer tube adjacent said outlet portionthereof for positioning said tubes with respect to each other at saidoutlet portion of said outer tube; and a plurality of fins connected tosaid inner tube adjacent said one end thereof and extending toward saidouter tube to position said tubes with respect to each other at saidinlet portion of said outer tube.

9. Portable pump apparatus comprising, in combination, elongated suctiontube means including inner and outer substantially coaxial tubes, saidouter tube having an inlet portion located beyond one end of said innertube and having an outlet portion located adjacent the opposite end ofsaid inner tube; a third tube connected to said outer tube at saidoutlet portion thereof and extending laterally from said outer tube;handle means supporting said suction tube means adjacent said outletportion of said outer tube and being removably connected to the latter,said handle means including a pair of side portions one of which ismovable with respect to the other and which are respectively locatedabout complementary parts of said third tube, said other of said sideportions having a projecting portion located distant from said thirdtube and said one of said side portions being hingedly connected to saidother side portion adjacent said projecting portion thereof and having acurved extension which moves along said projecting portion duringmovement of said one side portion toward and away from said other sideportion of said handle means; a nut located about said third tube andthreadedly engaging said side portions of said handle means at saidcomplementary parts of said third tube to press said side portionsagainst said third tube; fiuid moving means located in said inletportion of said outer tube; an electric motor located in said innertube, having its housing formed by part of said inner tube, and beingoperatively connected to said fluid moving means for driving the latter;an annular ring carried by said inner tube and being located between thelatter and said outer tube adjacent said outlet portion thereof forpositioning said tubes with respect to each other at said outlet portionof said outer tube; and a plurality of fins connected to said inner tubeadjacent said one end thereof and extending toward said outer tube toposition said tubes with respect to each other at said inlet portion ofsaid outer tube.

10. Portable pump apparatus comprising, in combination, elongatedsuction tube means having an inlet and an outlet and adapted to convey afluid along a predetermined path from said inlet to said outlet; fluidmoving means located in said suction tube means adjacent said inletthereof; an electric motor; shaft means located in said suction tubemeans and interconnecting said electric motor with said fluid movingmeans for driving the latter during operation of said electric motor; anenclosure forming part of said suction tube means and being locatedabout said shaft means and adapted to hold a sealing liquid to prevent afluid pumped by the pump from gaining access to said electric motor andto damp lateral vibrations of said shaft means; sealing means sealingsaid enclosure from said motor and fluid moving means; and

a housing located about said electric motor, at least partly forming aportion of said suction tube means, being re movably connected to atleast part of said suction tube means, and being located at least partlyalong said predetermined path so as to be engaged by fluid moving insaid suction tube means during operation of said electric motor, saidfluid moving means being of a cross-section at least as small as theinternal cross-section of the removable portion of said suction tube,whereby said motor and fluid moving means can be separated bodily fromsaid suction tube.

11. Fortable pump apparatus comprising, in combination, handle means; amotor mounted in said handle means and having a housing forming part ofsaid handle means and being formed with an outlet for the pump; an outerelongated suction tube removably connected at one end to said housing,extending away therefrom, and having an inlet for the pump distant fromsaid housing; an inner tube fixed to said housing, and extendingcoaxially along the interior of said outer tube almost up to said inlet;fluid moving means located in said outer tube adjacent said inletthereof and beyond said inner tube; and elongated shaft means extendingalong the interior of said inner tube and interconnecting said motorwith said fluid moving means for driving the latter during operation ofsaid motor, said fluid moving means being of a crosssection at least assmall as the internal cross-section of the removable portion of saidsuction tube, whereby said motor and fluid moving means can be separatedbodily from said suction tube.

12. Portable pump apparatus comprising, in combination, elongatedsuction tube means having an inlet and an outlet and adapted to convey afluid along a predetermined path from said inlet to said outlet; fluidmoving means located in said suction tube means adjacent said inletthereof; an electric motor operatively connected to said fluid movingmeans for driving the same; a housing located about said electric motor,at least partly forming a portion of said suction tube means and beinglocated at least partly along said predetermined path so as to beengaged by fluid moving in said suction tube means during operation ofsaid electric motor; and a threaded connecting element fixed to saidsuction tube means at said inlet thereof so that extensions orattachments may be connected to said suction tube means at said inletthereof.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,425,308 Woock et a1. Aug. 8, 1922 2,107,481 Johnson Feb. 8, 19382,217,746 Hawley Oct. 15, 1940 2,221,798 Hollander Nov. 19, 19402,362,922 Palm Nov. 14, 1944 2,404,635 Hoover July 23, 1946 2,410,973Hoover Nov. 12, 1946 FOREIGN PATENTS 181,613 Switzerland Dec. 31, 1935

